SMTB Part 4: Red Dawn
OCTOBER 1, 2019 YAMADA CAFÉ "Oh my...what on Earth happened to your arms?" "I...fell from a tree. Stupidly, I might add." Rin was done with hiding. She'd already returned to her original hair color, and had resolved to return her hair (now tied back in a ponytail) to the longer length of her grade school days. And now, in her usual afterschool hangout spot, she'd taken to going out in public sans a long sleeve shirt for the first time in months. "I see...I had wondered why you were wearing long sleeves in fairer weather. I'd just assumed it was a fashion statement." said Yūji. "Nope. Just me hiding a lapse in judgement. But it's OK now. I'm not ashamed of it anymore. Took some egging on to start showing it in public, but hey. Can't just hide it forever." "Well, that is rather commendable. Takes a lot to admit to something like that. Strange, it's barely been two months but you look completely different from when we first met..." "In a way I'd guess you could say she was in disguise back then." A scruffy-looking, dirty blonde-haired boy came over from behind the counter. "Sorry to eavesdrop. I know I should be focusing on customers..." "Oh, that's no problem. In fact it's perfect timing." said Yūji. "With my parents' retirement imminent I've resolved to bring in some extra manpower. This here is Shijūgo Oda. He's part of the school's Disciplinary Committee." "Disciplinary, huh? You a law and order type, huh?" Rin asked. "Yes, ma'am." "'Ma'am'. That and your posture tells me you've got some military in your blood." "You'd be correct, ma'am. My mother was with the American Military before coming here. Orderly behavior's just part of the lifestyle." Suddenly, another boy popped up from behind the counter. He had slicked back, dark hair, and wore a polka-dotted bowtie. "Yup yup, ShiShi's as straight-laced as they come! Though wouldn't laces be untied if they were straight?" he said. Yūji sighed. "I thought I told you to keep the clowning around to a minimum." "'Minimum' doesn't mean 'none', bossman. The lady thought it was funny!" "I didn't, actually." Rin deadpanned. The boy looked dejected. "Well, whatevs! I'm Kamiya Tsurai, by the by. Here to give you all your daily dose of PUNishment, hee!" Yūji sighed again. "See what I have to deal with?" "Don't let Kamiya's existing get you down. Deep down, he's not actually funny at all." A bespectacled boy with a dark goatee appeared suddenly. Kamiya jumped. "ZOINKS! Where'd you come from?!" "I'm not sure you're old enough to know the answer." Yūji rubbed his eyes. "And this charming fellow is--" "Shinji Sarada, mechanics genius." Rin said. "So you've heard of me, then." "I saw that the lunchroom was a winter wonderland last week after you hijacked the A/C." "Oh, right. That. Thought the mystery meat could've used some...extra preservation. Thought it was a good idea." "Some of us thought otherwise." Shijūgo quipped. "Well, anyway, Rin, where's the rest of the band?" Yūji asked. "Well, Tenko has fencing practice. Rose is helping my mom out at the shop, Jin's probably off skulking by himself or what have you, and everyone else? No idea." --- NARUKI MARKET DISTRICT "Erm, Mr. JoJo, could you maybe calm down one second?" Hana asked. "Beruhigen?! Wie kann ich? Ihre seltsamen früchte sind mit meinen worten durcheinander!" Shūjo shouted back. "Sorry, hon, but I don't understand a word you're saying..." "I believe he's upset that your fruit's caused him to only speak in German." Rose said. "Wie ist das überhaupt möglich? Ich dachte, diese frucht stamme aus Afrika!" "Oh, hang on hon, I think I might have a solution..." Hana brought out an odd red fruit. "Oh gut. Seltsamere früchte sollten es reparieren." Shūjo grumbled. He reluctantly bit into it. "Any better?" "Well, it feels funny like the last one..." Shūjo said, now with a more squeaky, high-pitched voice. "Oh, great! Now I'm back to the right language but I sound like I've been huffing a balloon! Where the hell are you getting these things from, anyway?!" "Take it easy, JoJo. It'll be back to normal in a couple hours...give or take a week." "A week?! Oh my God, how the hell's anyone gonna take me seriously now?!" "I don't think that's gonna be a problem, JoJo..." Hiyoko quipped, trying to hold back laughter. The pair left, Shūjo looking decidedly dejected. "Oh, dear. That was somewhat dire..." Hana sighed. "You mentioned your husband had some...unique connections in the produce industry. That was certainly unique." Rose added. "Well, moving past that...it's only a couple weeks until your son's release, yes?" Rose asked. "Oh, yes. The three years are finally almost up. And what an eventful three years it's been...actually, there was something else I've been thinking of now that you've mentioned it. You've been a good little helper these last few weeks, Rosie, so I wanted to ask...would you like to help me with another little business venture I'm planning?" "Another venture? What do you mean?" "Well...it's something me and my Kaito had been talking about before his passing, and with Tan coming home soon I think now might be the right time. The shop next door is closing soon, and I've already started discussing buying it. I wanted to convert it into a flower shop." "Flowers, you say..." Rose pondered. "If you couldn't guess from my name, flower arranging is what my family specializes in. I've wanted to make a business out of it for a while, and I was thinking that Tan could take over the fruit side of things while I work on it. It's what my Kaito wanted, after all..." "And you wanted me to help?" "Well, of course. You might be the most meticulous teenager I think I've ever seen. Plus, having someone named 'Rose' working in a flower shop would be the most adorable thing ever~." "I...see. Well, it's not the worst logic I've heard. I suppose it couldn't hurt." "Oh, you're an angel! Rin is blessed to have you as a roommate." "You flatter me, miss Hana. It's the right thing to do. Particularly to help avoid any further...incidents." Across the street, Shūjo was fuming while Hiyoko was laughing hysterically. "Stop laughing, dammit! I'm supposed to be intimidating! Intimidating!", he squeaked. --- OCTOBER 2, 2019 NARUKI ASCENSION ACADEMY "You guys are seeing this too, right?" Tenko asked. The group stood in the academy's courtyard, staring at an announcement board. Covering the board were postings requesting aid from the Shinigami Order. The group could overhear other students talking about it. "Those are the guys that changed Kyōshinja's heart, right? Made him confess to all that crap?" "I think so. Seen a couple of people around here that just changed their tune out of nowhere." "That's Jin Mirai over there, right? Heard they got to him, too. They really taking requests?" "They're seriously asking for our help, now?" Rin asked. "Look at all these requests. And I thought the Junior Class Elites were the only creeps around here..." Hiyoko added. "Oh, that's nothing. Y'all should take a look at the website." Jin said, looking at his phone. "Huh? Website?" Shūjo said, surprised. Jin showed his phone, and indeed, there was a forum online where concerned students made requests to the Shinigami Order. "What the hell? Where'd this come from?" Rin asked. "I set it up." Jin replied. "You...you set it up without consulting the rest of us?" Rose asked. "It's what we need to do. We've got the power to do things nobody else can, right? We should be putting that to good use. Yeah, Ishimaru's a big deal but if we can, we should help out if someone else's in trouble. Anything to clean out the muck, yeah?" Jin explained. "Well look at you, Mr. Paragon of Justice." Rin joked. "Hey, you guys saved my skin when you could've just gone after Ishimaru. We should be doing that for other people, too. Only fair." "I guess you're right. 'With great power' and all that." Rin said. Just then, a hush came over the crowd of students. "All right, lemmings, move your butts! Official Disciplinary Committee business!" Forcing his way through the crowd was one Kurojū Mishima, the head of the Disciplinary Committee. Flanking him were a pair of committee members, Shijūgo among them, both wearing white-colored versions of Mishima's dark military-style uniform. Mishima marched up to the board. "Tch. Requests for the Shinigami Order, huh?" He turned to the crowd. "You lemmings really need help from a bunch of crooks? You forgetting who the law is around here?" Rin chuckled at this. "Something funny, red?" Mishima demanded. "Oh, no reason. Just, I appreciate a good bit of irony. And I have a name, you know." "Oh, I know who you are. Tohru Kubo's little sister. And you've got as much nerve as he did. I'd mind that tongue if I were you, or else--" "Or else what, she'll end up like him? That what you're saying?" Tenko interjected. "I don't recall asking you, Kitsunezaru. Or is that just how girls conduct themselves now?" He motioned his hand toward her, only for Jin to step in-between them. "Hands to yourself, creep. Or I can't guarantee you'll get them back." he said. Mishima grumbled at this. "Well, look who suddenly grew a pair. Got a lot of nerve talking to me like that." "I don't give a rat's ass who you are. You raise your hand to any girl, I'm gonna have a problem. Raise your hand to that girl, and you're begging for an ass-whooping." Jin retorted. Shijūgo put his hand on Mishima's shoulder. "Let it go, man. This isn't a good look at all." Mishima grumbled. "Tch, fine. Not worth the effort anyway. Don't think I'll forget your little threat, Mirai. And as for you, red...you'd best keep both eyes open. Or you'll find out what your bro did about screwing with the natural order. Let's go, men!" Mishima walked off. "Hey, I'm sorry about that. He's been in a rotten mood since Kyōshinja was expelled." Shijūgo said. "'Rotten', that's putting it lightly." Shūjo quipped. "Again, sorry. You all just be careful. You should know nothing good comes from making them angry." Shijūgo bowed respectfully, and walked away. The crowd began to disperse. "For a supposed disciplinarian, he himself seems to enjoy pushing buttons, no?" Rose questioned. "I'll say. Saying that garbage about my brother, who does he think he is? Would've clocked him myself if it'd gone on any longer." Rin griped. "Sorry for stepping in like that. My old man always told me to treat women right. Seeing bullshit like that makes my blood boil." Jin said. "Oh, don't apologize. I would've dropped him like a rock if you didn't step in." Tenko said. "Would've gotten some enjoyment out of that, to be honest..." Hiyoko added. The group walked back to class. Shijūgo looked on from behind a building. He took out his phone, and began to type. Later on, the group gathered in Rin's dorm. "Alright, what's this about, Jin?" Rin asked. "Okay, I just looked at the website to see if we could jump into anything, and well...look at the most popular topic." Jin brought up the website, and the topic with the most traffic bore the title "KUROJŪ MISHIMA". "Apparently people weren't too thrilled about his display in front of the notice board. Look at all the comments." "Dude's a piece of trash. He uses his position to expel anyone he doesn't like with trumped up charges. Who'd believe he was lying?" "A friend of mine called him out on his BS and got a beating because of it. Then the asshole gave himself a black eye and told the rest of the committee my friend gave it to him and he fought back in self-defense. My friend got expelled, and this creep's still walking around like nothing." "He's just hired muscle. Everyone knows he probably did in poor Tohru Kubo, but no one can say anything. At best he's a hypocrite, at worst he's a criminal." "They all want his head. Frankly after today, I'm clamoring for it myself. But it's not my call to make. What's your call, boss?" Jin asked. Rin thought it over. "This guy's clearly a thug and a bully. And on top of that, people seem convinced he was involved with Tohru's death. It'd be dumb to overlook this." "OK. Sounds like a plan. He's had his fun, now it's time for karma to get a word in. And if he had something to do with my brother's death...we'll get it out of him." "Okie dokie. So, we need something with his code on it to get to his Palace, right? How do we do that?" Hiyoko asked. "Maybe I can be of some help." The group turned around in surprise. Shijūgo was standing there. "How'd you--?!" Shūjo began. "The door was open just a tad. Normally I wouldn't just barge into a lady's quarters like this, but I overheard your conversation. I'd come to ask if you knew how to contact the Shinigami Order...but it looks like I found them myself." "OK, dude, we know the committee thinks we're criminals, but we--" Tenko began. "You don't need to explain anything. I'm the one who posted the formal request for you to change his heart." The group looked surprised. "Startling, I know. But I've been concerned for a while that Mishima-sama's actions haven't been in anyone's best interests but his own. Today's display only reaffirms to me that he needs to change. So, can you all really do it? Can you change his heart? If so, I'd like to come along myself." Rin was stunned. "Are you...really sure about this?" "Yes ma'am, I am. I learned to let go of any fear a long time ago. And I'm not new to combat, either, if that's what's needed. I'm more than capable of carrying a heavy workload." Rose approached Shijūgo. "Your fortitude is to be admired, Mr. Oda." "Please, ma'am. If we're going to be partners on this venture I wouldn't mind you all calling me Jugo. Most already do." "Alright. Jugo it is then. I believe you will handle yourself just fine. Now, you have something of Mishima's, yes?" "Indeed I do. Here: his school ID. He dropped it during the incident at lunch and I haven't been able to return it. So, how exactly is this going to work?" "Oh, you'll see." Rose scanned the ID on her phone. A door appeared. "Whoa..." said a surprised Jugo. "Dude, you haven't seen anything yet." Rin said. The group entered the door. On the other side of the door was a dull, gray world covered in snow. There, was a large military fortress surrounded with a wall that itself was covered in barbed wire. Jugo was speechless at the sight of it. "I have...several questions." he uttered. "We'll try answering them as we go along." Rin said. "I am...a quick learner." Jugo answered. The group hid behind a large pile of snow. Guards dressed in black military garb, lacking any facial features save for glowing red eyes, were standing watch atop the wall's towers. "Alright, how do we take care of the welcoming committee?" Shūjo asked. "Leave that part to me." Hiyoko answered. Her Persona appeared before the guards, and summoned forth a bell. The guards took aim, but the woman sounded the bell, causing the guards to crumble and dissolve into shadow. "Guess they aren't fans of my music." Hiyoko quipped. "I don't blame them. Have you heard your singing voice?" Shūjo added. "Now how do we get over this wall?" Tenko asked. "I got this." Jin said. He summoned forth his Persona, which forged a stairway out of ice going over the wall. "You all thought I was gonna use the chain, didn't you?" Jin asked. No one said a thing. "Oh, come on. This isn't Dynasty Warriors 9. I'm not that dumb." The group went over the wall. As the group were about to enter the fortress, they heard a commotion from inside. They peered in through a window. Inside there was a large room, where numerous soldiers were lined up. A door opened up, and out stepped Mishima. His uniform was now adorned with a dark trenchcoat, with a matching dark military-style cap and dark gloves. His eyes glowed yellow. The soldiers all stood and saluted in unison. "Mishima-sama...?" said a stunned Jugo. "My brave men...you stand here on the cusp of a brave new future. A future where Japan stands alone atop the planet as the supreme military power! Through your efforts, Naruki Ascension Academy shall soon become a training ground for the youth of this great nation to become the samurai of a new age! Once our bretheren have subdued the political realm, Japan's destiny as a military force will be all but realized! All that needs doing now..." He motioned to one of the soldiers next to him. The soldier brought out a hostage: a shadowy woman bound with rope. "...is the elimination of any and all carnal distractions to your better interests!" He pulled out a pistol, and promptly executed the woman. "Listen here, men! These base urges you feel are naught but an obstacle to this nation's glorious destiny! The female of the species has long tormented and halted our progress with its frailty and incessant whining! Cast all those urges aside, and drive your passion and rage towards a stronger Japan! Give me all your blood and anger! Your country's future depends on it! Do I make myself clear?!" "SIR, YES, SIR!" The group looked on in shock. "What on Earth am I looking at...?" said a stunned Jugo. "Good God, and I thought Kyōshinja was full of it. This guy's insane!" said Rin. "I...I knew that Mishima-sama wasn't all that fond of women, but...this is outrageous." Jugo added. "Seriously, do all these creeps have girl problems?" Hiyoko asked. "What was that about complete military takeover and his comrades taking the political world? Does he mean Ishimaru and Hibiki? Is that what their end goal is?" Rose asked. "Sheesh. My only plans are for when I'm gonna eat next. These guys got an entire countrywide overthrow planned out." Jin said. "So how do we get in there?" Tenko asked. "Stop right there! Where did you all come from?" A soldier aimed his rifle at the group. "Huh? Lieutenant Oda? What are you doing with these criminals?" Jugo paused for a moment. "I...I was just in the process of arresting them. I caught them trying to sneak into the base." "You captured them? How did you do that without a weapon--" Jugo moved quickly, snatching the rifle away and shooting the guard, who fell and dissolved. The rifle faded away with him. "So much for a weapon." Jugo griped. "My, my. The things you come across on an afternoon walk." Mishima's Shadow appeared from around the corner, flanked by a pair of guards. "Mishima-sama!" "That's General Mishima to you, Lieutenant. And what a good lieutenant you are. You've gone and captured these violent insurgents to bring to me as a sign of loyalty! And to do it unarmed, perhaps you do have your uses." "What...?" "Now, I'm going to assume that these are the Shinigami I've been warned of? How easily you've let yourselves be discovered. But then, seeing that you're mostly girls goes a long way to explaining that." "Disgusting asshole." Hiyoko griped. "The kind of lip service I've come to expect from you lot. Japan will truly be saved once you squeeling quims are taken care of." "Alright, listen you piece of--" began Rin, before Jugo intervened. "Mishima-sa--er, General. Is this really what it's been about? Your taking over the Disciplinary Committee was just a platform for turning the academy into a training field?" "Oh, dear me, Lieutenant. And here I thought I'd made myself clear. Seems you inherited some of that trademark American ignorance. Very well, I'll elaborate. Yes, I intend to use the academy to develop a strong army to use in guiding Japan to military supremacy. Anyone I see standing in the way of that path, I'll see disposed of." "This is ridiculous..." "Was my brother in the way of your demented little scheme? Is that why he's dead now?" Rin demanded. "Hmph. As if I have anything to say to someone like you. Lieutenant!" "Huh?" The Shadow dropped a rifle on the ground. "Kill the girls for me." Jugo looked shocked. "What...?!" "I can easily whip these men here into fighting shape, but the girls...they're beyond useless. So be useful for once and dispose of them for me." "This guy's unreal...this is who you've been following, Jugo." Tenko said. Jugo looked down. "How funny...all my life, I was taught that a superior's orders were absolute. But what am I supposed to do...when the one giving me orders is a complete monster?" "Hngh? What was that?" "I've decided...General. I'm not going to do your dirty work for you. I'm going to stand right here...and ignore everything you demand of me." "Why, you...!" "I'm not your personal lapdog. I'm going to see to it that this miserable future you want...never comes to pass!" You have reached the logical conclusion, at last. Jugo's eyes widened. He began reeling in pain, but composed himself enough to continue standing. The life of order has begotten you servitude to a madman's vision. A violent fate awaits if you do not act. Do you stand still and do nothing, or move forward and tear this vision asunder? "You already know the answer to that. I want to give him hell." A wise answer. Allow me to lend you my strength. Jugo's eyes turned yellow as the pain grew more intense. Even then, he stood firm. I am thou, thou art I...nothing can be gained from a life of submission. A deluded fool cannot sit atop the natural order. Time to bestow upon the blighted legions, the fate that awaits all tyrants! With a loud grunt, Jugo was engulfed in blue flames. As they dispersed, he was garbed in what appeared to be samurai-style armor, with green camouflage patterns, and wore a pair of black-and red goggles. He stood atop a gaint red tank-like machine, with an Oni mask perched on the front. Accordingly, the word "ONI" was scrawled on the sides of the tank in big black letters. "What the hell...?" said a stunned Shūjo. "That my dude...that is a tank." said an equally stunned Jin. "This power...this is what I really wanted." Jugo said. "What's wrong, 'General'? You should be used to people not listening to your orders by now. But I guess...none of them had Oni at their disposal, huh?" A nervous-looking Mishima grumbled. "Grrr, dead set on this insolence, are you? Fine, be that way." The Shadow adjusted his collar, then snapped his fingers, as more soldiers manifested behind him. "Don't let them into my base, you hear me?! Kill every last one!" The Shadow fled. The soldiers took aim. "One man versus an army, huh? Alright then, let's see what this baby can do!" Jugo brought out what looked to be a rifle, though looking more like it belonged in a sci-fi film. He began charging it, while the tank also charged up an attack. The Shadows fired, but their shots bounced right off the tank. Jugo and the tank then fired their shots at once, causing a huge explosion that wiped the soldiers out. The group looked on. "Holy crap..." Rin uttered. "That Persona...I've never seen anything like it." Rose said. "HOOWEE, now that's what I'm talking about!" Jugo shouted. "Alright, now what's the plan? We going after that lunatic?" "Not yet. The doors to the base aren't gonna open until Mishima knows we're coming after him. Let's head back for now. We'll figure out what comes next." said Rin. "Yes, ma'am. Let's put an end to his scheme once and for all." Rose summoned forth a door, and they walked out. Atop a nearby cliff, a shadowy figure looked on. He snickered to himself, before vanishing. --- OCTOBER 3, 2019 NARUKI ASCENSION DORMS "Alright, all done." said Rin. "Now all you've gotta do is get it in his hands. Remember, that wasn't the real him yesterday. The real one doesn't know a thing about what happened. Just make sure he reads it, and then it's smooth sailing from there." "Understood. He should be in the committee's meeting room. I'll get it to him posthaste." said Jugo. Jugo departed to the meeting room. Mishima was sitting by himself, when Jugo knocked on the door. "I hope I'm not interrupting?" he asked. "Oh, Jugo. Just the man I wanted to see." Mishima said. "I was just starting the planning stages of punishing that bastard Mirai. Nitwit thinks he can play the chivalrous knight, he has another thing coming..." "Right...sir, I have something for you." "Huh? What's that?" Jugo handed over an envelope. "This was hanging from the notice board. It's addressed to you." Mishima opened the envelope. Kurojū Mishima, you have been found guilty of indulging in the sin of wrath. Your inner hatred has led to misery for many around you, and your desire for power has led you down a dark path. To ensure that your twisted vision never comes to pass, we will cleanse your soul without fail. You have been warned. - The Shinigami Order "Are you kidding me...?! Those crooks think that I'm the twisted one?! Idiots...damned idiots!" His Shadow repeated the sentiment. "I won't let these damned insurgents destroy everything I've worked to build...I will forge this country's future, and no terrorists will keep me from doing it...!" "Grr, I won't let this slide! Get me to the intercom room! I won't go down quietly...!" Later, Jugo arrived at the dorms. Upon entering Rin's dorm, where the others had gathered, the school's intercom system turned on. "This is Disciplinary Committee chairman Kurojū Mishima. I would like to inform you all that the criminals known as the Shinigami Order have just threatened an attack on me for perceived unjust behavior. I'm here to inform you that I won't submit to idle threats, and that anyone caught collaborating with these crooks will be dealt with accordingly. And to the crooks themselves...come and get me." The system turned off. Hiyoko burst out laughing. "This moron, he's completely spazzing! I love it!" "Welp, guess we know he's onto us." Shūjo added. "Permission to put him out of his misery, ma'am?" Jugo asked. "Permission granted. Let's get a move on, Rosie." Rin said. The group appeared right in front of the door to the base. They broke it down. All that was in the room was Mishima, sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. "Do you really have to make so much noise?" he griped. "Joke time's over, creep. We're here to clean up your act." Rin said. The Shadow snickered. "Do you imbeciles even appreciate the amount of work that goes into building an army? How much having to discipline you lot wears on my mind?" "You don't have room to complain. I've seen generals conduct themselves much more fairly than you do. All you are is a bully with delusions of grandeur." Jugo retorted. The Shadow sighed. "I truly expected more from you, Lieutenant. It appears I'm yet again left disappointed. Oh, well." The Shadow snapped his fingers, and the floor behind him opened up. What rose up was a giant, grey mech, which the Shadow entered. "Now you terrorists will understand what it means to have to submit! I look forward to crushing you all beneath my--" Before he could finish that thought, Jugo used his Persona to blast a hole right through the mech, which promptly fell over. The Shadow was stunned. "If there's one thing I've come to understand, it's that without your men surrounding you, you're just a sad, angry little man. And nothing you could do could ever be truly threatening." Jugo said. Rin pried open the cockpit and grabbed Mishima up by the collar. "Alright, creep, time to come clean. Tohru Kubo. What do you know about his death?" she demanded. The Shadow gave a nervous laugh. Rin pressed her sword to his throat. "Really wanna keep that up?" she said. "I-I don't know. It wasn't me--" "You really expect me to believe that?!" "I-Ishimaru thought it'd be too obvious, so we...we hired a guy..." "So you bastards did set it up! Who'd you get to carry it out?!" "I-I don't--" She brought the sword closer. "He wouldn't show his face, okay?! He wanted to keep it professional, all he said was that he was in our class--" Before he could say another word, a shot rang out. And before Rin knew it, a single hole appeared on the Shadow's head. He gargled a bit, before dissolving into nothing. "Wha...Jugo, what did--" she uttered. "That...that wasn't me..." Jugo answered. The stunned group looked behind them. Standing there, was a figure wearing a red cloak, with red boots, gloves, and two sets of ammunition draped over his shoulders, forming a cross. A single glowing eye could be seen coming from under his hood. He held a pair of long-barreled revolvers, one of which gave out a smoke trail. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You know the old saying, Mishima. 'Loose lips sink ships'." he said. He put away his revolvers. "Guess I got here just in time. Hi, Rinnie. Been a while. Close to a year, methinks." "Who the hell are you...?" "Who, me? Tsk, that's a shame. Didn't our dearly departed Mishima-san just tell you?" "I'm the hired gun. The guy who killed your bro? That'd be me." Rin's eyes widened. "You...you're the one who..." "Yep. I did. With this." He brought out a crowbar. "An old classic. I like to just look at it sometimes. Heck, you can see it bent a little from where I--" Before he could finish, Rin lunged at him, slashing at him. However, when she brought the sword down, she saw that half of it had been broken off. "You really shouldn't interrupt people, Rinnie." She looked up, and saw a glowing man draped in robes holding the other half of her sword. "Guess big bro never taught you about good manners. Hyperion." The robed man swatted Rin away, sending her flying into the wall. "Rin...!" Tenko shouted. "That's...a Persona...?! It can't be..." said a confused Rose. "Oh it can, sweetheart. Now hush hush. I'm in the mood for some target practice." He drew his weapons. Tenko jumped in front of the others, and readied her shield. "Not today, budd--" she began. He fired his gun, which shattered the shield and went right through Tenko. She collapsed to the ground. "What the--" Hiyoko uttered. Jin became enraged. "You're fucking dead!" He lunged at the red man. "You first, lover boy." He grabbed Jin's chain, pulling him forward, before summoning his Persona, which promptly punched right through Jin. "Girls are nothing but trouble, dude. Trust me." the figure said. The robed man tossed Jin aside. Jugo began firing at the man, who dodged every shot. "I feel like I'm in the chiropractor's office here. You morons got this far sucking this bad?" With one well-placed shot, he shattered Jugo's rifle, the shot passing through Jugo. He collapsed. "And here comes the next blockhead..." Shūjo lunged at the man, who promptly blocked using his Persona. "...right on cue." The Persona punched Shūjo in the head, driving him into the ground. Hiyoko brought out the bell, but it was immediately shattered by the man's gun. "Ah ah ah, sweetie. Just sit tight, I'm not asshole enough to shoot an unarmed girl." He turned around. "Oh wait. Yeah I am." Without turning, he shot Hiyoko. The man approached Rin, but Rose blocked his path. "Whoever you are, I won't let you near her...!" "Honey, just turn around and leave before you get hurt. This is getting embarrassing." Rose summoned her Persona, but as the strings approached the man, his Persona grabbed them, destroying them with ease. "I warned ya." He shot her once in the chest, and she collapsed. He went over to Rin, and grabbed her by the neck. "Don't you fret, Rinnie. They're not dead. Our little game wouldn't be fun if I killed most of the players this early on. I want you to get close, real close to figuring it all out. Then, only then, will I come back to finish you all off." "Who...who are you...?" "Would I be wearing this getup if I wanted you to know that? If you insist on giving me a name, just call me "The Reaper." But now, I need to bid you adieu." He tossed her to the ground. "Give Mama Hana and the Tan Man my regards. I'll be in touch." He took out his crowbar, and struck her with it. Rin jarred awake. She was back in her dorm. She checked for injuries. She had none. She looked around, and saw the rest of her friends lying around, slowly coming to. "What was that...didn't we all just die?" Jin grogged. "That man...his power was unreal...how did he have a Persona...?" Hiyoko questioned. Rin thought for a moment. "Wait a second...Mishima. His Shadow was killed. What does that do to Mishima...? Rose, what happens now?" Rose looked horrified. "If one's Shadow dies before the change of heart, then that will lead to a complete mental...oh no. We have to go, now!" "He should still be in the committee's room, follow me!" said Jugo. The group ran. They arrived at the office, to a horrifying scene. Mishima was writhing in pain, screaming. His eyes had rolled over to the back of his head. He collapsed to the floor, and after a few moments, ceased all movement. The group stood in shock. Shūjo checked for a pulse. "Is...is he...dead...?" said Rin. "Oh...oh fuck." Shūjo muttered. "Someone go get help, now!" Jugo yelled. Jin ran out of the room, as Jugo tried to resuscitate Mishima. Rin only stood, dumbfounded. "What...what the hell just happened...?"